Here and Now
by Angelic Gemstone
Summary: Nick is ready to take the next big step in his life with Jess. Oneshot.


**Author's Note:** I was so happy when it was announced that New Girl was renewed for a seventh and final season, albeit a condensed one. Regardless, I know it's going to be amazing. And as wonderful as the season six finale was, it left me wanting more, so I wrote this. Enjoy, roomfriends.

 **Disclaimer:** New Girl © Elizabeth Meriwether

* * *

Nick Miller could count on one hand the number of times he'd experienced the indescribable feeling in his gut that what he was doing was _right._ He felt it when he quit law school to pursue a career in bartending, as deep down he'd always known he never would've been happy as a lawyer. He felt it when he moved into the loft with Schmidt and Winston shortly after they'd all graduated college, as those two idiots, along with Coach, were the best friends he'd ever have. And, most strongly of all, he felt it when he finally got out of his head and went after the woman he'd been in love with from the moment he saw her.

 _"Let's not think about it."_

He didn't think the first time he kissed her in an explosion of passion after that infamous game of True American. He certainly didn't think a few months later when he'd chased after her and caught the elevator doors just before they'd sealed shut. He didn't have to think as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom, where his pent-up feelings for her were finally unleashed in one perfect, unforgettable night of unbridled lovemaking.

And now, the second he accepted he'd never stopped loving her—even if he may not have always been conscious of that fact the entire time they were apart—he knew there was no going back. When he'd run home to profess his love to her, he never in his wildest dreams would've guessed she'd been waiting nearly a year to tell him she was still in love with him, too. Sure enough, upon seeing the way her face lit up with that hopeful smile of hers, brimming with nervous excitement, he knew, right then and there, that she felt the same way.

He recalled how he'd stepped onto the elevator and felt his breath catch in his throat, how suddenly, everything he'd planned on saying to her paled in comparison to simply showing her how he felt. In truth, his head was in such a whirlwind he couldn't tell which of them made the first move. One moment, they were exchanging timid glances, and the next, they were wrapped up in each other's arms, kissing in a zealous display that communicated more than could ever be properly put into words, an action that said: " _I've loved you the entire time I've known you, and my biggest regret is that I let you slip away the first time. I won't make that mistake ever again."_

These were the thoughts currently running through Nick's mind as he stared at his girlfriend, who was sound asleep in his bed as he lay beside her. He smiled to himself, admiring her pale skin bathed in the morning sunlight. Never had he experienced such overwhelming happiness and love before he'd met her. With Jess, everything made sense. He didn't have to second-guess a thing. It all felt so… _right._

Nick blinked, feeling as if a fog had just been lifted from his mind. He got that feeling in his gut again, twisting and turning more powerfully than ever before. It told him, right here, right now, in this moment, it was right. He didn't have to think twice about it. There were no doubts. No worries. No overanalyzing. Only feeling.

And his gut was screaming at him now: _Don't wait._

* * *

Nick emerged from his bedroom dressed for the day and running on sheer adrenaline as he made a beeline for the pot of coffee on the counter. He didn't bother to greet his old roommates, Schmidt and Cece, or his current roommates, Winston and Aly, the four of whom sat around the kitchen table, having breakfast. Schmidt was the first to acknowledge Nick, raising his steaming mug towards him.

"Nicholas! Good morning, my precious friend," he said with a bright smile. "Care to stuff your unshaved face with your favorite artery-clogging food we Jews condemn known as bacahn?"

"Literally no one pronounces 'bacon' like that, Schmidt," Nick said, pouring the coffee into a mug. "And I don't have time to eat. I need to get out of here before Jess wakes up."

"Oh, god, what did you do to my best friend?" Cece asked.

After returning the pot to its holder, Nick took a large sip of the straight, black coffee, only to grimace at the bitter taste.

"Ugh, why did I drink that?"

He dumped the rest of his coffee down the sink and slammed the empty mug down. Before he could give anyone a chance to ask him what the hell was wrong with him, he blurted out, "All right, look, I'm going to propose to Jess today and I need to get a ring and I don't even know where to start so someone is going to have to help me because I absolutely refuse to screw this up!"

He managed to pause long enough to take a breath, and in that brief span of time his friends each voiced their reactions:

"Is this for real?" Winston asked, brimming with glee.

"Congratulations," Aly said, hopefully with sincerity, but Nick could honestly never tell with her.

"My boy has blossomed into a man!" Schmidt said with such sheer delight it was almost sickening.

Cece's reaction involved no words at all as she simply cupped her hands over her mouth the way girls did when they were overcome with emotion. Nick never understood it in the slightest, but he appreciated the sentiment behind the gesture nonetheless.

Eventually, she removed her hands and said, "This is probably the pregnancy hormones talking, but… I feel like I want to hug you."

"No!" Schmidt said before she could even make a move to get up. "There will be no hugging. I refuse to allow Nick's flabby gut anywhere near our growing fetus."

"Honey, relax," Cece said.

"Yeah, I'm not flabby. I do crunches," Nick said, only to remember they had a far more important topic at hand. "Listen, I need somebody to keep Jess busy for a couple of hours while I go buy a ring."

"Aly and I can do that," Winston said, putting a hand on her back. "Now, let's see, off the top of my head, I'm thinking… rodeo clowns."

"What does that even mean?" Nick asked.

"Obviously that we'd take Jess to go see some rodeo clowns," Aly said without missing a beat, before turning to Winston. "Babe, we don't have time for any of that today. We're looking at that wedding venue in an hour."

"Oh, no problem," Winston said. He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. "I'll just call and reschedule."

Schmidt, however, snatched the phone out of Winston's hand. "Are you _mad?"_ He scoffed. "Call and reschedule. As if it's one of your haircut appointments."

"Winston doesn't call in advance when he goes to the barber shop, Schmidt," Aly said. "He's not a woman scheduling an appointment for the hair salon."

"Are you insinuating Winston can't call and make an appointment to get his follicles trimmed just because he has a penis?" Schmidt asked.

 _"Where_ is this conversation going?" Nick asked, all but losing it.

Cece slapped a definitive palm against the table. "Okay. Here's what we're going to do. Winston, you'll go see the wedding venue, and you'll take Schmidt with you because he's absolutely fantastic with that stuff. He basically planned our entire wedding all by himself while I stood around and looked pretty."

"It's true," Schmidt said, beaming with pride. "And that isn't sexist. It's revolutionary."

Cece continued, "I'll go with Nick to the jewelry store to help him pick out a ring since I know Jess better than anyone, and Nick would probably come home with a hideous excuse for a ring nobody in their right mind would ever purchase."

"I don't appreciate that assumption, but to be fair, you're probably not wrong," Nick said.

"And that leaves Aly to keep Jess busy for the next couple of hours," Cece said. "Everyone good?"

"Wait, I'm sorry," Aly said. "I don't see why I have to be the one to waste my day off helping Nick, a person whom I barely tolerate."

"Not gonna lie, that hurt my feelings, but again, fair enough," Nick said.

"Babe," Winston said, resting a hand on top of Aly's. "Jess helped me create the perfect proposal for you. It's only fair that we return the favor by helping Nick."

Aly stared at her fiancé, seeing the sincerity in his gaze, and her resolve crumbled as she sighed and said, "Okay. You're right." She looked at Nick. "I'll do this for you, but on one condition. You are not allowed to give a toast at Winston's and my wedding."

"Drunk or sober?" Nick asked.

 _"Neither,"_ Aly said.

"Okay, okay," Nick said, holding up his hands. "Harsh terms, but I accept."

"Thank you," Aly said. "Now, where should I tell Jess you are when she asks?"

"Tell her I died," Nick said.

 _"What?"_ Aly said.

"Sorry, I panicked and said the first thing that popped into my head," Nick said. "I'm the worst liar in the entire world, you should know that about me by now!

"How about I just tell her something about your job?" Aly said. "I could say there was a problem with a delivery and you had to go down there to take care of it."

"Huh," Nick said. "That actually sounds… believable. You just came up with that? You're really smart. I have a newfound respect for you and your ability to deceive."

"Thank you for that backhanded compliment," Aly said.

"Was that sarcasm?" Nick asked.

"We don't have time for this," Cece said, standing up. "Nick, let's move. Aly, if you can't think of what to do with Jess, take her shopping. Winston, have fun, and babe, I'll see you later."

Schmidt got up as well and attempted to catch up to Cece, who'd already wrangled Nick and was nearly out the door. "Let me just say goodbye to our precious miracle of life—"

"NO TIME!"

The door slammed shut, leaving a stunned Schmidt standing there in silence. Winston walked up and slapped a palm against his back.

"We'd better head out, too. The drive's about forty minutes," he said, grabbing his keys. "Aly, I love you. Tell Furguson I'll be home later."

"Will do," she said. "Love you, too."

The two of them left, and with everyone gone, Aly had little time to prepare how she was going to entertain Jess, as she emerged from Nick's bedroom moments later, still wearing her pajamas.

"Good morning!" she said, bright and cheery. "This sleepy queen is in need of some caffeine!"

She grabbed a mug and poured what was left of the coffee into it, all while softly singing to herself. Aly took that time to finish the rest of her own coffee, despite being fully aware it wouldn't give her anywhere near enough energy to keep up with Jess for the next few hours. Swallowing the once-hot beverage that had since grown unpleasantly lukewarm, Aly set the mug down, knowing she had to power through.

"Hey, Jess, do you… want to go shopping?"

* * *

"You mind if we listen to the _Newsies_ soundtrack?" Winston asked, stopped at a red light. "I'm feeling a Santa Fe sing-along coming on."

Schmidt didn't respond as he focused on a pregnant woman, much farther along than Cece, holding a little boy's hand as the two crossed the street.

"Schmidt?"

"Do you think that woman is stealing that little boy?" Schmidt asked.

Winston looked at them. "No, that's definitely a mother with her son. You seriously think a pregnant lady would steal someone else's kid?"

"Maybe she stole him from his loving, attentive father. Ever think about that?"

Winston stared at him for a moment. "Schmidt, is everything… okay?"

"Yes, everything's okay," Schmidt said, an edge to his tone. _"Of course_ everything's okay. My wife and unborn child are okay. Am I with them right now? No. But that's obviously _okay."_

"Okay," Winston said. The light turned green, and he proceeded down the road, drumming his fingertips on the steering wheel. "So… _Newsies?"_

"Yes, _Newsies,"_ Schmidt said. "I could never turn down a sing-along."

* * *

Aly and Jess strolled down the street together, the latter with two shopping bags on her arms filled to the brim with new knitting materials.

"It astounds me how much your love of yarn surpasses that of an eighty-year-old woman," Aly said.

"Aww," Jess said. "Thank you."

"That legitimately wasn't a compliment, but hey, whatever makes you happy."

At that, Jess paused, the smile on her face fading. "Oh, my gosh. We just spent all this time at a store I love, when you're the one who invited me to go shopping in the first place. To channel everyone's inner-Chandler, 'Could I be _more_ of a jerk?'"

"You're supposed to emphasize the 'be,'' Aly said. "But, Jess, it's fine, I'm actually not—"

A gasp from Jess silenced Aly, who had no time to react as the surprisingly strong woman grasped her firmly by the wrist and veered her across the street. It was only when she spotted the posh bridal shop they were heading towards that it all clicked for Aly, and she tried to pull Jess back the other way.

"Jess, no, my lead-for-brains little sister will kill me if I go dress-shopping without her."

"Oh, come on, it never hurts to stop and look around once in a while," Jess said, her grip only tightening as they reached the sidewalk. "Ferris Bueller said that. He may be a rotten, rule-breaking scoundrel, but dang, does he make an excellent point."

"We don't even have an appointment," Aly said.

"It's fine, we're just going to look," Jess said. "It's not like they can kick us out."

Only when they entered the store did she finally release Aly, who absently rubbed her wrist as she took in all the wedding gowns around them—endless rows of lace and silk and beading. Her head was already spinning when a woman in a purple blouse, black suit jacket and matching pencil skirt walked up to them. The metal nametag pinned on her lapel read Margaret.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice as tightly wound as her hair wrapped up in a bun. "Do you two have an appointment?"

Jess and Aly exchanged a look.

"Because if you don't, you're in luck," Margaret said. "I just got off the phone with another bride-to-be who had to cancel her appointment because she's in labor."

"Oh, my god," Jess said.

"I know," Margaret said, shaking her head. "Kids. They ruin everything. Now, which one of you is the bride?"

Aly tentatively lifted a hand. "I am."

"Excellent," Margaret said. She took a moment to survey Aly up and down. "Let's see. For a petite woman like you, I'm thinking a lavish, princess-style gown."

"Really? I don't know—"

"Don't question my expertise," Margaret said, and she motioned for Aly to follow her. "Come along. You're going to look ravishing."

As Margaret led her away, Aly cast one last helpless glance at Jess, who merely gave her a smile and a thumbs up.

* * *

"Now, this one is a princess cut, very elegant, very popular," the man behind the jewelry store counter, Walt, explained. He held up the ring to an increasingly distressed Nick, who'd been pulling at his hair so much he resembled a mad scientist. "If you look closely at the princess cut, you'll see—"

"Okay, _Walt,"_ Nick said, sweeping a palm out in front of him. "I'm going to stop you right there. First of all, I find the fact that this ring is called a 'princess cut' a little suspicious. For one thing, princesses aren't even real—"

"Yes, they are," Cece said, a hand on her hip, looking all the more poised next to Nick, who had his elbows on the glass counter as he dragged his palms down his face.

"Also," Nick said, ignoring her, "I hardly see any difference between this ring and the dozen other ones you've already shown me. Frankly, I think you're saying all this stuff to mess with me because you know I'm some idiot who doesn't know the first thing about jewelry. I mean, what even is a _carat?"_

"It's how much a diamond weighs," Cece said. "Hence why more carats cost more money."

"Oh," Nick said. "All right, that makes sense. But I stand by what I said about—"

"Okay," Cece said, dragging Nick away from the counter. "Nick. We've been at this for an hour and you haven't liked _one_ ring."

"Well, if Walt would just—"

"No, please listen to me for a second," Cece said. "You brought me here because you needed my advice, right? Well, my advice is, stop overthinking every little detail. Jess is going to love any ring you get her because it's coming from _you._ She loves you, Nick."

At that, Nick visibly softened, and his voice grew quiet and serious. "I know. And I love her. So much."

"I know," Cece said, a smile now teasing at her lips. "So, trust me when I say that whatever ring you choose, Jess is going to adore it."

"Okay," Nick said. "Thanks, Cece."

"You're welcome," Cece said. "Now, take my word for it when I tell you that Walt isn't messing with you. He knows what he's talking about."

Nick sighed. "Fine, but don't you find it a little weird that his name is Walt and he was going on and on about a so-called _princess_ cut?"

Cece rolled her eyes as she tugged him back to the counter.

* * *

"As you can see, this reception room is incredibly spacious. It can seat up to three-hundred and fifty guests."

Winston followed the blonde woman who'd been giving them a tour, while a stoic Schmidt trailed behind, lingering by one of the windows.

"Kate, let me ask you something," Winston said. "Would you guys be able to accommodate a cat?"

"A cat?" Kate said.

"Yeah, see, I plan on having my cat, Furguson, as one of my groomsmen, so I was wondering if it would be possible to add some feline amenities. Nothing crazy, just a food and water dish, a scratching post, maybe tuck a litter box in the men's room, know what I mean?"

Kate stared at him, eyebrows furrowed, though before she could say anything, a little girl with blonde hair came scampering into the room.

"Mommy!"

Schmidt's ears perked up, and as the girl walked up to Kate, he, too, dashed over. "This is your daughter?"

"Yes, this is Cindy," Kate said, smiling warmly as she stroked her daughter's hair. "What's the matter, honey?"

Cindy opened her mouth to speak, but Schmidt cut in once more. "If I may ask, where is her father?"

"Her father?" Kate said.

"Yes, is he at work?" Schmidt asked. "Grocery shopping? Perhaps at the park with one of your other children?"

"Well, if you must know, I'm not sure where her father currently is," Kate said. "He and I have been divorced for two years. Cindy only sees him once in a while. But, she's doing just fine with Mommy."

"Sure, she _seems_ fine. But every kid needs a dad, too. Or at the very least a father figure. In fact—" Schmidt took out his wallet. "Why don't I buy you some candy? What kind do you like? Chocolate with peanuts? Or nougat? Everyone's a fan of nougat."

"I'm sorry," Kate said. "Are you, a stranger, actually trying to buy candy for my six-year-old daughter?"

Schmidt froze, cash in hand, while Winston took it upon himself to step in at that moment.

"Kate, will you excuse us for a minute?"

"Gladly," she said.

Winston led Schmidt away, cutting right to the chase. "What is going on with you?"

"Nothing is going on, Winston!" Schmidt said. "Can't a man offer to purchase candy for a little girl who's clearly suffering from not having her dad around?"

"She seems like a perfectly happy little kid to me," Winston said.

"Oh, _of course_ , she does," Schmidt said. "Because she doesn't need her dad, right? Nobody _needs_ their dad as long as they have their mom. I mean is—is that how it's going to be with _my_ kid? Cece's going be this incredible mom, and she won't… need me." His voice broke on the last word, and he paused, reeling in his hysteria. "Hell… Look at you and me, Winston. We both grew up without a dad, and we turned out pretty well for ourselves. Maybe my kid will be better off without me, too."

"Schmidt," Winston said, clasping a hand on his shoulder. "How many times growing up did you wish you could've talked to your dad about something you were going through? Because, for me, it was… all the time. And as much as I love my mom, I still wished my dad hadn't been such a coward by walking out on us. I felt betrayed, y'know? Like I wasn't enough for him to stay. I know your dad put you through the same thing, but look at your relationship with him now. He not only came to your wedding but he's making an active effort to be a part of your life. You could've shut him out, but you didn't. You know why? Because he's your father, and in spite of everything, you love him. And the best part of you becoming a dad is that your kid will never have to experience that same loneliness you felt growing up because you're going to be there. And your kid will love you for that. I promise you."

A smile, so warm and sincere, spread over Schmidt's once forlorn face, lighting up his eyes with modest pride. He slapped his palm on Winston's shoulder and drew him in for a hug.

"You're a good man, Winston Bishop."

"As are you, Winston Schmidt."

Schmidt's smile only grew wider, and with his spirits now restored, he drew back and said, "All right, now down to business. This Kate woman is playing you for a fool, Winston. She's coming off like this is such a high-end venue worthy of housing yours and Aly's wedding, when it's really nothing more than a cheap catering hall disguising itself as some fancy castle. I mean, the drapery? Atrocious. I say we duck out of here, grab some froyo and I'll show you a place Cece and I looked at that's infinitely better and half the cost."

"Dang," Winston said. "You're a genius."

"Don't I know it, friend."

* * *

Jess admired the collection of gorgeous wedding gowns, a soft grin adorning her face. Unable to resist, she reached out to touch one, when Margaret poked her head out from the changing room.

"No bride, no touch."

Jess dropped her hand. "Sorry."

"It's all right," Margaret said. "Your friend is ready now."

"Ooh, yay!" Jess said. "Let's see her."

Margaret stepped side, and Aly appeared at the threshold, wearing one of the princess-style wedding gowns. Her slender shoulders were bare in the sleeveless dress, which flowed outward to perfectly frame her figure. The band of jewels wrapped around the waistline gleamed beautifully as she approached, her footsteps silent yet purposeful. She turned to face the floor-length mirror, taking herself in, while Jess felt her breath hitch in her throat.

"Oh, Aly," she said, placing a hand on her chest. "You look like an angel. Winston's going to cry when he sees you on your wedding day."

Aly's own eyes glossed over as she stared at her reflection. "He is."

"Gosh, it's going to be so amazing," Jess said. "I couldn't be happier for you two. I can only hope Nick and I will someday make it down the aisle."

"I'm sure you will," Aly said. "Who knows, maybe even sooner than you think."

"Yeah, that'll be the day, huh?" Jess said. "Don't get me wrong, I love Nick with all my heart, but I can't even imagine him proposing."

Aly's smile faltered now. "Really? Why?"

"He's just not the greatest at handling that type of pressure," Jess said. "It's stressful enough to have to plan a proposal, but to also have to keep it a secret? My poor, sweet Nick wouldn't stand a chance. Honestly, he'd probably prefer it if _I_ proposed to him." She chuckled at that, though suddenly, her eyes popped. "Oh, my god. I _should_ propose to him."

"What's that now?" Aly said.

"I could so do this!" Jess said, getting swept up in the idea. "I know Nick loves me and that he does want to marry me someday, so why not get the ball rolling by proposing to him? He wouldn't expect it at all. It'd be _so_ romantic, don't you think? Yes!" She started rummaging through her purse. "I'm going to call him. Just gotta find my… Aly?"

She looked up to find that Aly had disappeared.

* * *

"That's the one," Nick said.

The diamond sparkled brilliantly as Cece tilted her hand back and forth, having slipped the ring on per Nick's request that she be his personal hand model.

"It's perfect," Cece said.

Nick drew in a breath, which came out a bit shaky as he said with a grin, "This is really happening."

Cece grinned as well, though when she went to remove the ring, her face scrunched up. "Uh oh."

"What?" Nick said.

"The ring, it's… a little stuck."

"A _little_ stuck?" Nick said, a spike of anxiety in his voice.

"It must be my damn pregnancy hormones causing my fingers to swell up," Cece said. She tugged on the ring a bit harder, but it still wouldn't budge. "We're just going to have to wait until the swelling goes down a little."

"How long is _that_ going to take?"

"Relax," Cece said. "It won't be that long. Besides, we've got plenty of time."

The sound of Nick's phone ringing seemed to be a welcome distraction, until he retrieved it and looked at the screen. "Crap. It's Jess."

"Don't answer it," Cece said. "You're going to freak out and spill the beans."

"If I don't answer she'll probably get worried and go down to the bar, but I won't be there because _I'm here."_

"Fine, answer it, but be brief."

"Brief. Right." Nick answered the phone. "Yo." He looked at Cece and shrugged.

"Hey, Nick," Jess said. "Still at the bar?"

"Yes, the bar. That's where I am and where I have been this whole time. Still dealing with the bad shipment of… alcohol. Spoiled alcohol. Very not good. How are you?"

"I'm great," Jess said. "And actually, I was wondering if you—"

Nick's phone buzzed. "Hold that thought. I'm getting another call."

"Oh. Okay, but—"

Nick switched lines. "Aly, what is it? I'm—"

"JESS IS GOING TO PROPOSE TO YOU!"

"Wait, _what?"_

"She said she wants to surprise you by _proposing to you,"_ Aly said, hunched in the changing room. "You need to get home before she does."

"She's on the other line right now!"

"Well, get her off the phone, and I'll do my best to distract her as long as I can."

"Okay," Nick said. "Thank you, Aly, I really—"

"HURRY!"

"OKAY!" He switched back. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Nick," Jess said. "Is something going on?"

"What? No. Nope. I gotta go. I love you."

"Wait! Will you be home soon?"

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know. I love you, though."

"I love you, too," Jess said. "And, speaking of, there's something really important I need to talk to you about."

"Yeah, okay, sounds great, I love you, bye!" He hung up. "Jess wants to propose to me."

 _"What?"_ Cece said.

"We've got to get that ring off your finger _now!"_ He grasped the ring and pulled at it to no avail. In his mounting panic, he looked around the jewelry store and cried, "Does anyone have butter?!"

* * *

"Nick? You home?"

It had taken Jess longer than she would've liked to get here, as Aly had insisted on the two of them having lunch together, and after a particularly plentiful meal, Jess had made it home at long last. She walked into the loft now, only to find it empty, but what immediately caught her attention was the trail of rose petals on the ground. She followed the trail leading up to her bedroom with growing anticipation, and when she opened the door, her heart skipped a beat. Nick stood there, surrounded by even more rose petals, a shy grin on his face that only widened when she walked in.

"Hey, Day," he said in that ever familiar way.

Her breath strayed from her throat as she felt a smile lift the corners of her mouth. "Hey, Miller."

"Jessica… When I woke up this morning, I looked over and watched you sleeping—not in a creepy way, just—you know what I mean. The point is, this morning, I had only one thought on my mind, and it was that I want to marry you."

Jess' face split into a wide grin as tears formed in her eyes.

"And if there's one thing I've always been sure of, it's how in love with you I am. I've known it from the moment I first laid eyes on you, right here in this room. When you first walked through the door, my heart started racing like crazy… like it is right now, _holy…"_

Without thinking twice, Jess bridged the gap between them by cupping her palm over Nick's rapidly beating heart. The gesture calmed him in an instant as he looked up and smiled at her. She smiled back at him, and he gently took her hand, placing a kiss on her palm.

"From the second I met you, I knew you were the one for me. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world that I get to call you my best friend. I've loved every single moment I've shared with you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives creating more unforgettable, crazy, weird, _amazing_ memories together. And so, Jessica Day…"

He lowered himself to one knee and took out a velvet box, opening it to reveal the shining engagement ring.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Jess said, no hesitation whatsoever, as it was the easiest question she'd ever been asked in her life. The tears escaped down her cheeks as Nick sprang up and captured her lips in a kiss that sealed their deep love for each other, a promise to the new adventures that awaited them here and now, at the start of the rest of their lives.

They only drew apart when a confetti canon exploded out of nowhere, and they turned around to find Schmidt, Cece, Winston and Aly standing at the doorway, breaking into cheers for the newly engaged couple.

Nick took Jess' hand and placed the ring on her finger, and as everyone rushed over to hug and congratulate them, Schmidt had only one word to add:

"Finally!"


End file.
